Preparedness
- Thread starter Laura
- Start date
dant
The Living Force
Wow... these things brings back memories of my mother!
I was just a little kid back then, hovering around her
and watching her, hard at work canning everything
she could think about! Pickles, jam, apples, green
beans, corn, berries, nuts, squash, meats of various
kinds- all obtained from my grandpa's farm! This was
done back in the 60's-70s where one was trying to
stretch the dollar bill in order to make ends meet.
I remember it plainly as if it were yesterday!
Ball jars of all kinds, narrow and wide mouths
with sealing lids and twist-on screw-caps.
I do remember, that the jars/caps needs to be
sterilized, this is important, even when store bought,
brand new, one must sterilize the jars/caps inside and
out to kill off any bacteria and impurities before use!
And the pressure cooker was one of iron, uses the stove
top, has a easy-to-read pressure gauge and a weight that
was placed on top of the steam release valve... and it was
noise from the steam whistle that drew my curisoity as a
kid, but in any case, I learned that it is very important that
one keeps an eye on the pressure gauge so as not to blow
up the pressure cooker! Just read the instructions carefully,
as Laura said!
Oh, and what a storage shelf we had in the basement,
LOADED with canned jars, some which were refrigerated
although I do not remember or know why... perhaps
they last a bit longer?
But in the end - the "canned" foods were MUCH BETTER/TASTIER
BY FAR compared to the store bought canned goods. That, I can
attest to!
Thanks for the wonderful reminder!
Dan
I was just a little kid back then, hovering around her
and watching her, hard at work canning everything
she could think about! Pickles, jam, apples, green
beans, corn, berries, nuts, squash, meats of various
kinds- all obtained from my grandpa's farm! This was
done back in the 60's-70s where one was trying to
stretch the dollar bill in order to make ends meet.
I remember it plainly as if it were yesterday!
Ball jars of all kinds, narrow and wide mouths
with sealing lids and twist-on screw-caps.
I do remember, that the jars/caps needs to be
sterilized, this is important, even when store bought,
brand new, one must sterilize the jars/caps inside and
out to kill off any bacteria and impurities before use!
And the pressure cooker was one of iron, uses the stove
top, has a easy-to-read pressure gauge and a weight that
was placed on top of the steam release valve... and it was
noise from the steam whistle that drew my curisoity as a
kid, but in any case, I learned that it is very important that
one keeps an eye on the pressure gauge so as not to blow
up the pressure cooker! Just read the instructions carefully,
as Laura said!
Oh, and what a storage shelf we had in the basement,
LOADED with canned jars, some which were refrigerated
although I do not remember or know why... perhaps
they last a bit longer?
But in the end - the "canned" foods were MUCH BETTER/TASTIER
BY FAR compared to the store bought canned goods. That, I can
attest to!
Thanks for the wonderful reminder!
Dan
Mrs.Tigersoap said:
Yeah, the majority that was good I vacuum sealed and froze. I didn't see the specks until I got to the bottom, and I packed it in the same day. I would think that it would go bad on the top first.
Data said:
Yeah I think that could have been it, maybe there was some water on the bottom. Perhaps the best thing would be to use or store the tallow as soon as you get it. And maybe also melting it above water's boiling point to get any potential water out.
I'm still stoked about the pemmican
. It's like a "meat bar". Grasslandbeef.com's pemmican is recommended to be frozen, but they have had some stock last over a year. It isn't fully moisture free, so making your own would probably be the best. I think I might try some before I make some though.
The pemmican sounds great! Can't seem to find any in the UK, so will be looking to make my own.
Just wanted to add a quick note, as its going to take some time to get the equipment [dehydrator, vacuum sealer, canner] (and make space for it) I've started stocking up on canned food (mostly fish, but may get some corned beef too) from the supper market.
These are really easy to store anywhere for those with limited space, and who may in the future need to keep stocks hidden/distributed. fwiw
One thing I have found mentioned that may be useful is vacuum sealing flour (seal the whole unopened bag, as flour will get sucked into the machine and cause it to fail otherwise). From what I've read, vacuum sealing flour (and this was just in reference to wheat flour) will mean it keeps for years instead of months.
Other things that have been crossing my mind in relation to this thread is having a clean water source to drink, so having a portable water filter (or one of those life straws _http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LifeStraw they'll provide one person with clean drinking water for a year...from any water source you find) just in case may be a good idea. Have found things like this for sale on ebay/amazon.
Having stocks of things like basic fire lighting equipment (flints - not matches as they run out quickly), tooth brushes, basic medical (and supplement - especially vitimin C, magnesium oil and DMSO), basic tools (a tin opener may save your life!) would probably also be a good idea.
Just wanted to add a quick note, as its going to take some time to get the equipment [dehydrator, vacuum sealer, canner] (and make space for it) I've started stocking up on canned food (mostly fish, but may get some corned beef too) from the supper market.
These are really easy to store anywhere for those with limited space, and who may in the future need to keep stocks hidden/distributed. fwiw
One thing I have found mentioned that may be useful is vacuum sealing flour (seal the whole unopened bag, as flour will get sucked into the machine and cause it to fail otherwise). From what I've read, vacuum sealing flour (and this was just in reference to wheat flour) will mean it keeps for years instead of months.
Other things that have been crossing my mind in relation to this thread is having a clean water source to drink, so having a portable water filter (or one of those life straws _http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LifeStraw they'll provide one person with clean drinking water for a year...from any water source you find) just in case may be a good idea. Have found things like this for sale on ebay/amazon.
Having stocks of things like basic fire lighting equipment (flints - not matches as they run out quickly), tooth brushes, basic medical (and supplement - especially vitimin C, magnesium oil and DMSO), basic tools (a tin opener may save your life!) would probably also be a good idea.
Speaking of water purity, I've looked at homemade distillers. I found one here that uses a pot and cake pans to collect the water. There's another with a pressure cooker and copper wire coils here.
The flint sounds like a good investment, as matches can get wet too. I've looked at some bushcraft videos before, and a good axe and knife are essential if in a survival situation. Maybe visiting sporting goods or camping stores would be a good idea.
This stuff is pretty interesting to me, because I never did any boyscout or camping things, and I always liked fiddling with fires. But I don't think it would be too "fun" when it is really a survival situation.
It's hard to find those LifeStraws. They are only like $10. I found a similar one, but it only does 500L/132G of water for $50 here. I don't think these things filter chemicals though, just sediments and bacteria/viruses.
The flint sounds like a good investment, as matches can get wet too. I've looked at some bushcraft videos before, and a good axe and knife are essential if in a survival situation. Maybe visiting sporting goods or camping stores would be a good idea.
This stuff is pretty interesting to me, because I never did any boyscout or camping things, and I always liked fiddling with fires. But I don't think it would be too "fun" when it is really a survival situation.
It's hard to find those LifeStraws. They are only like $10. I found a similar one, but it only does 500L/132G of water for $50 here. I don't think these things filter chemicals though, just sediments and bacteria/viruses.
While storing food is an excellent idea there is another problem and that is floods for some people or homes being attacked by groups of criminals in search of food, maybe it would be wise to also have one of those mountain backpacks filled with canned foods and put that in your closet or something as a backup in case of extreme emergency. Then you can just pick up your backpack and move to another location.
Criminal gangs of looters will not be a problem in most of the USA in event of disaster. Americans are armed and local communities will quickly organize self defense teams who will make short work of looters. I have a friend who lived in Homestead, Florida when Hurricane Andrew made landfall in l992. He told me that his neighbors formed armed patrols and checkpoints which stopped looting within a few hours. It is probably safest to become part of community projects and get to know your neighbors in case of disaster. Human community, empathy, and cooperation is the common response to disaster and collapse of public order. I wonder about those concerned with their neighbors looting. Most of my neighbors are decent people who are quick to gather together in times of need. Armed government looters are the greatest threat to humanity, not our neighbors.
truth seeker
The Living Force
I'm not so sure about this. When I see how people react on black Friday or other similar situations and see how unarmed people act I have to wonder how they will act in situations that occur when they actually need something. In addition, how will those programmed via watching those same acts in the media will respond. While I don't believe all will act in the same manner, I'm not sure. Maybe the media is attempting to program us into being unnecessarily fearful so that we will be more predisposed to acting out that way?go2 said:
Mrs.Tigersoap
The Living Force
Go2 said:
Well it really depends who are your neighbours to begin with.
I would think that if people were looting, some of my neighbours would be quick to respond: I have no less than three cops in my building !
I think it's a safe bet to say that apart from them, nobody is armed in my building. So, maybe they would defend us against looters, but maybe they would be the first ones to watch what we bring home and organize, etc.
And, as Truth Seeker was saying, the media is programming people to be fearful. When there is a holiday here, people are literally invading supermarkets on the day before because for one day, they won't have access to food whenever they want to. You see people with huge carts, as if there was a war going on.
So I can only imagine if there were food shortages...
Mrs.Tigersoap
The Living Force
I was wondering if some of you had any experience with a vacuum sealer? I have read many reviews, and apparently, many people complain about the seals reopening after a while, about the bags being really expensive, about the machine not sealing at all. Handheld models are usually less reliable than countertop ones, but their price is really different as well!
Also, a while ago, I bought airtight jars (like these: http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/foodStorage/jarsTerrines?utm_medium=feed&productId=10011037&utm_source=nextag&sku=419060) and I put buckwheat flour in them and they are now stored in a dark place. This was not canning per se (where you sterilize, etc.), so I am now wondering if this is worth anything. Does anybody know?
Any feedback really appreciated.
Also, a while ago, I bought airtight jars (like these: http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/foodStorage/jarsTerrines?utm_medium=feed&productId=10011037&utm_source=nextag&sku=419060) and I put buckwheat flour in them and they are now stored in a dark place. This was not canning per se (where you sterilize, etc.), so I am now wondering if this is worth anything. Does anybody know?
Any feedback really appreciated.
Mrs.Tigersoap said:
Hi Mrs Tigersoap,
I have a vacuum sealer (countertop) and it works fine. Once sealed, my bags stay sealed. It is a bit pricey but I always buy them when they are on sale.
Moreover, I bought 25 kg of buckwheat seeds and I keep them in jars. So far, the seeds are still very fresh and make a wonderful flour.
Hi Mrs. Tigersoap, I have a vacuum sealer too. Mine has lost vacuum on bags a few times, so I always make sure to check it a few hours or a day after sealing. Mine is an older model Foodsaver without all the frills. You can double or triple seal them if you want to make sure that the seal stays. I would just recommend doing a lot of research and looking at reviews. Sometimes that can get annoying, but it will help in choosing which one to buy.
ScottD
Jedi
I tend to watch Alton Brown quite often on Food Network since he is quite the scientist with food. So for those of you on a budget and cannot afford a dehydrator here are a couple links with recipes on building a food dryer from a box fan, paper filters, and bungee cords. I've yet to try it myself but it's definitely on my list of experiments.
httx://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/dried-fruit-recipe/index.html
httx://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/beef-jerky-recipe/index.html
Next on my own list is learning how to properly grow some herbs in the window sill (I failed horribly last time) and then doing some canning as well. I'm intruigued with the meat canning as I didn't realize it was posible to have meats to last that long.
httx://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/dried-fruit-recipe/index.html
httx://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/beef-jerky-recipe/index.html
Next on my own list is learning how to properly grow some herbs in the window sill (I failed horribly last time) and then doing some canning as well. I'm intruigued with the meat canning as I didn't realize it was posible to have meats to last that long.
Mrs.Tigersoap
The Living Force
Gandalf said:
May I ask you what is the brand of your sealer?
3DStudent said:
Yes, this is what I did. They get confusing after a while, because a lot of people who take the trouble to review are those who aren't happy. Those who are happy don't necessarily go on the Internet to say so. I had selected a FoodSaver product, but there were so many unhappy people who were complaining about their machine having actually never worked, etc. and FoodSaver never addressing their complaints, that I did not know what to do anymore.
Thank you Gandalf and 3D Student!
